The invention relates to the automated treatment of fluids having successive and interchangeable process modules.
Such a system is subject of German patent application DE 199 54 855.2.
United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,364 discloses a system for producing semiconductor substrates, which includes multiple successive process modules. The process modules are supplied with data, energy, necessary chemicals, gases, and liquids via a common media bus. The media bus is also used to discharge the fluids. At least one of the process modules is configured for supplying the fluids to and discharging the fluids from the fluid bus. The media bus has electric lines for data and power transmission and various pipes for the different fluids. Along the media bus, coupling boxes having electrical fluid terminals are provided at a grid spacing that is defined by the size of the process modules. The individual process modules can be connected to the electrical and fluid terminals by means of respective counter-terminals. The fluid terminals are equipped with self-closing valves, which seal the respective fluid terminal toward the outside if a process module is not connected to the respective counter-coupling. Therefore, in the prior art system, it is relatively simple to add, remove or interchange individual process modules as needed.
The fluid bus of the prior art system is configured specifically for the fluids that are required for producing semiconductor substrates. The prior art system has various pipes for these fluids, which, in part, have different diameters and cross sections. The variability and applicability of the prior-art system is therefore limited to this special production process.
European Patent Application EP-A-0 303 565 discloses a system for producing a, in particular, chemical product. The various production steps are carried out in different fixed or mobile process modules, each of which includes a control unit and a chemical unit. Therein, a respective production step is carried out within the chemical unit under the control of the control unit. The control units of the different process modules are connected to a process control system via data lines. The substances required by or obtained in the production process are individually supplied to or discharged from the chemical units within the process modules via supply and discharge lines. Thus, the desired modularity and flexibility is essentially provided on the control side but not on the process side.